Eagles Sweep White Rock to Solidify Standing Atop the BCPBL

Junior Premier Eagles also sweep Coquitlam 12-1 and 12-0 to move up in JBCPBL standings

Story and Photos by Christian J. Stewart (ISN)

July 5, 2015, Victoria, BC (ISN) – The Victoria Eagles moved a few steps closer to first overall in the BC Premier Baseball League as they swept the White Rock Tritons in a double-header Sunday, winning by scores of 9-7 and 14-6 under a surreal orange sky at Lambrick Park in Victoria.

The Junior Premier Eagles also had a good day Sunday, sweeping the Coquitlam Reds by scores of 12-1 and 12-0 on the Mavericks Diamond at Lambrick Park.

Kobe Morris would have a big day Sunday with 4 hits and 6 RBIs, including three on this bases-loaded triple in Game 1, helping the Eagles to a sweep of White Rock (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

The two wins by the Premier Eagles improves their record to 29-12 and while the 29 wins are the most by any team in the league and the most ever by the Eagles franchise in a season, the Eagles remain just percentage points behind the first place North Shore Twins, who with a record of 26-8, hold an inexplicable seven games in hand over the Eagles.

This was the eerie scene at Lambrick Park this morning as due to the smoke from up-Island forest fires casting a weird, yellow darkness over Victoria, the lights had to be turned on for the game against White Rock (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

Sunday’s first game was an interesting one, as thanks to a cloud of smoke that had drifted over Victoria from forest fires to the North, the game was played under an eerie dark orange sky that necessitated the field lights at the park being turned on for most of the game.

Eagles baserunner Brendan Turcotte slides under the throw to White Rock second baseman Jason Hill on this play at second in Game 1 Sunday (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

Victoria would jump out to an early 2-0 lead, thanks in part to a leadoff home-run from Tyler Duncan, his league leading fifth of the season, but then watch as an erratic Karsten Waters, the Eagles starting pitcher, would give up five runs over the second and third innings, allowing White Rock to jump into a 5-2 lead.

Evan Smith would come in to relieve in the top of the third to stop any further damage and then pitch a 1-2-3 fourth and the Eagles would respond in the bottom of that inning by scoring seven runs to take back the lead 9-5. Doing most of the damage in the seven run outburst was Kobe Morris, who laced a bases-loaded, three-RBI triple to the fence. Tanner Hess, Brendan Turcotte and Tyson Abbott also had RBI base hits in the frame, while Lenn Nakatsuka was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in another.

Eagles second baseman Lenn Nakatsuka makes the force at second and then reacts as his throw misses the mark at first on this double play attempt in Game 1 (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

Smith continued to pitch through the sixth, allowing a run in the fifth that closed the gap to 9-6, and while White Rock would get another in the top of the seventh after reliever Stephen Wade struggled, Martin Eckard would come in to close things out and earn the save in the 9-6 win.

Eagles reliever Evan Smith would pitch 3.2 innings of relief to get the win in Game 1 against White Rock (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

In addition to Duncan’s home-run and Morris’s triple, the Eagles had a perfect offensive performance from Brenadan Turcotte who went four-for-four at the plate with a pair of RBIs. Mitch Bryan also had a pair of hits in the Eagles 13 hit attack, while Morris and Duncan scored a pair of runs each.

Smith gets the win on the mound, with Eckard the save. White Rock starter Saylor Gray takes the loss.

Fynn Chester would have one tough inning in Game 2 Sunday, but would finish with the win in the Eagles 14-6 victory (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

In Game 2 Sunday, the Eagles came out of the gate strong again, this time scoring three first-inning runs off White Rock starter Liam Mitchell thanks in part to an RBI single from Morris that scored Duncan who had walked. Nakatsuka and Turcotte would also score in the frame.

White Rock shortstop Danny Hollins (16) gets set to throw to first on this double play attempt after forcing out the Eagles Mitch Bryan at second base (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

The Eagles would extend that lead by one in the third, but then White Rock would get to Eagles starter Fynn Chester for a five spot in the fifth, thanks to a four hit attack including RBI hits from Patrick Van den Brink, Juan Paez, and Danny Hollins.

Eagles baserunner Kobe Morris is tagged out during this rundown between second and third in Game 2 on Sunday (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

The Eagles, who are the second highest scoring team in the league, did not let the 5-4 deficit phase them however and in the bottom of the inning, they would send 13 batters to the plate and put up another seven-run inning on the Tritons.

Kobe Morris would start the big inning with a walk and then come in to score on a Tanner Hess double. Three walks and two more runs later (both on wild pitches), Dan Rockwell and Kieran Waters would stroke back to back RBI singles to make the score 9-5. Two outs later, Morris, in his second at bat of the inning, would notch a two-RBI single to score Rockwell and Waters and close out the scoring in the frame.

The Eagles would give up one to White Rock in the top of the sixth, but then respond with three more of their own in the bottom of the inning to put the game away. Stephen Wade then came on to pitch a scoreless seventh to finish off the 14-6 win.

Victoria’s Brendan Turcotte was 4 for 4 in Game 1 Sunday and then added 3 more in Game 2 to have a 7 hit day (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

Morris and Turcotte would continue their monster days with three hits and two runs scored each in Game 2, with Morris adding three more RBIs. Tanner Hess would also have a solid game, with a pair of hits and two RBIs. Kieran Waters would also chip in a pair of hits.

Tanner Hess would have 2 hits and 2 RBIs to help the Eagles to their Game 2 win Sunday (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

Junior Eagles Move to Over .500

In Junior play, the baby Eagles jumped all over the visiting Coquitlam Reds for a ten run third inning en route to the mercy rule 12-1 win in Game 1. Nine different Eagles had base hits, including Ethan Tremblay and Jesse Simpson with two each, while 10 different players crossed the plate, including Tremblay and Parker Swinton with a pair of runs each.

Jacob Potter went the full five innings on the mound, allowing one earned run on five hits, while walking two and striking out four.

In Game 2, the Juniors continued their offensive onslaught with a five-run first and seven-run third to post another mercy-rule win, this time 12-0.

The eight-hit Eagle attack was led by Giovanni Piovesan-Walt who had a pair of hits and a pair of RBIs. Cam Devlin also chipped in two hits, an RBI and two runs scored, while Tremblay had a hit, RBI and run scored.

Justice Carter got the start and the win, allowing just two hits and two walks, and striking out three, in his five innings of work.

The two wins today and one yesterday against Whalley, move the Junior Eagles record to 15-14, good enough for sixth place in the JBCPBL. They sit just a half game back of White Rock and Triton who are effectively tied for fourth and 2.5 games up on seventh place North Delta.

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